Garment hanger



D. N. PEIRCE GARMENT HANGER Filed Feb. 18 1932 :NVENTOR M Z5. M

BY 1 'r" VMW ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 22, 1934 GARMENT HANGER Daniel N. Peirce, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

Application February 18, 1932, Serial No. 593,757

2 Claims.

This invention relates to garment hangers and is especially concernedwith a trousers hanger of a novel type.

, As a primary object, the invention has in view the provision of atrousers hanger which may readily be manipulated by the use of one handonly, thus leaving the other hand free to handle and arrange the garmentbeing inserted in or a removed from the hanger.

More specifically, this invention provides a hanger of the type referredto just above which is arranged for easier and more convenientoperation, as compared with hangers formerly used.

How the foregoing, together with other objects and advantages areattained will be more apparent from a consideration of the followingdescription making reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:-

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a trousers hanger constructed inaccordance with this invention; and

Figure 2 is an end view taken from the left of Figure 1.

In the two figures, the garment or trousers gripping elements areindicated at 3-3, these elements, of course, being arranged to grip thetrousers therebetween. The hanger further includes a head or handle part4 which may conveniently be provided with a hook 5 preferably fixed onthe part 4 as. against rotation thereabout.

At each end of the part 4 a portion of reduced cross-section 6 ispreferably provided and a wire spring device is bent around each portion4 6 as indicated at '7. Each spring has terminal or leg portions 8 and 9which are extended for connection with the gripping elements 3-3. In thepreferred arrangement, the legs 8 and 9 cross substantially in themanner indicated in Figure 2 i and the spring is bent in such manner asto yieldingly urge the gripping members 33 toward each other.

In order to separate the gripping elements 3-3 I employ a devicepreferably including a bent wire piece having a hand-grip portion 10disposed in position to be conveniently grasped, together with the heador handle part 4, in one hand. This device has its ends 11-11 bentinwardly at each side of the hanger to be journalled within loops 12which are formed in the legs 9 of the springs connected to one of thegripping elements. The parts 10 and 11 of the hanger actuating deviceare connected, at each side, through an additionally bent shoulderportion 13 which is positioned to bear against the legs 8 of the springswhich are extended to the opposite gripping element 3.

In accordance with this invention, and as clearly illustrated in thedrawing, the hand-grip portion 10 of the actuating device is disposedradially outwardly, with respect to the terminal portions l111 (whichconstitute an axis for rotative movement), beyond the shoulder portions13 which engage the spring legs 8. By arranging the parts in thismanner, the hanger may readily be opened by grasping the parts 4 and 10in one hand, even though the springs be of relatively great pressure(this being desirable in order to firmly grip the garments to besupported), since very considerable leverage may be obtained byarranging the hand-grip radially outwardly, from the axis of rotation,beyond the crank or shoulder parts 13.

Still further, in order to obtain a better pulling angle between thehandle 4 and the hand-grip 10, I preferably onset the hand-gripcircumferentially from the shoulder portions 13, so that the actuatingpiece, in effect, takes the general form of a bell crank which ispivoted, as at 1111, at the extremity of one of its effective arms.

It is further to be observed that, in the preferred embodiment, I mountand construct the spring devices in such manner as to grip the handlepart 4 therebetween. That is, the spring devices are so bent or somounted in the gripping elements 3 that they exert a longitudinalpressure on the part 4 adjacent to the shoulder providing the relativelysmall diameter portions 6 and thus, by friction, prevent rotation of thehandle 4 with its hook 5 unless intentionally moved by hand. The purposeof this feature is to prevent dropping of the hook to a position betweenthe spring devices at the sides of the hanger, in which position itwould interfere with convenient engagement of the hand-grip 10 duringopening of the hanger.

It will also be observed from inspection of the drawing that the twolegs 8 and 9 of each spring are so bent adjacent to the reduced spindleportions 6--6 and also intermediate the ends thereof, that the lowerextremities of the spring legs lie directly opposite each othertransversely of the hanger. In this way, the reaction of the shoulders13 formed on the opening lever is direct and, as a result, no torsionalstrains are imposed on the springs or the other parts to which they areconnected. Such an arrangement is also of advantage since the points atwhich the spring legs 8 and 9 are secured to the gripping elements 3 areequally spaced from each other in each instance.

In the preferred arrangement, furthermore, the spring devices are soformed, as well as so secured to the gripping elements 3, that the saidelements extend in planes which are substantially parallel to each otherwhen they are spaced from each other a distance approximately equal tothe thickness of the garment which they are adapted to engage. Thus, asseen in Figure 2, upon complete closure of the hanger, the grippingelements 3 are somewhat angled with respect to each other, although asjust pointed out, when they are spaced slightly from each other they liein substantially parallel planes and, therefore, the gripping action isat its maximum when the hanger is in use.

A still further advantageous featuresof the hanger construction isinvolved in the arrangement of the spring legs 8-9 in such manner as tocross each other at a point spaced substan tially below the handle 4.This crossing of the spring legs and also the curvature thereof, asclearly shown in Figure 2, are of advantage in easing the operation ofthe hanger and further in preventing raising of theoperating member 10to a position in which it would become locked, i. e., to a position ator beyond that which might be termed dead center. Thus, upon release oftheoperating element 10, downward movement thereof is always assuredunder the action, of the springs and this, in turn, ensures unobstructedclosure of the gripping slats 3.

What I claim is-:---

l. A garment hanger including cooperating gripping elements for engaginga garment, a support member, a spring at each end ofthe support memberbent around a portion thereof and having leg: portions extended forconnection with said elements tourge them toward each other, and meansfor separating said elements including a loop bent in the leg ofeachspring which is extended to one gripping element, and a cranklikepiece having its ends journalled in said loops to provide an axis forrotative movement, said piece further having shoulder portions arrangedto bear on the leg of each spring which is extended to the othergripping element, and having a hand-grip portion disposed radiallyoutwardly from said axis beyond said shoulder portions, the hand-gripportion being offset from said shoulders circumferentially of said axis.

2. A garment hanger including cooperating gripping elements for engaginga garment, a support member, a spring at each end of the support memberbent around a portion thereof and having leg portions extended forconnection with said elements to urge them towards each other, the legportions of each spring being arranged to cross each other at a pointspaced substantially from the support member but intermediate the saidmember and the gripping elements, and means for separating said elementsincluding a loop bent in the leg of each spring which is extended to onegripping element, the loop of each springbeing disposed at a pointclosely adjacent .to the crossing point of the legs thereof, and acranklike piece having its ends iournaled in said loops to provide anaxis for rotative movement, said piece further having shoulder portionsarranged to bear on the leg of each spring which is extended to theother gripping element, and having a hand-grip portion disposed radiallyoutwardly from said axis beyond said shoulderw portions whereby theoifsettingof. the hand gripv portion provides leverage to facilitateopening movement of the hanger and, at the same time, the proximity ofthe spring loops to the point at which the springlegs cross serves toprevent excessive opening movement or sticking of the crank-like piece.1 r

DANIEL N. PEIRCE.

